Ft. Lauderdale, FL – After months of preparation, organization and anticipation,
the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally 2004 is underway. On Sunday, May 16,th, the first
half of the fleet departed Port Everglades, Florida at precisely 4 pm. As
scheduled, the second half of the fleet departed 24 hours later. A total of 18
trawlers, from 40 to 90 feet in length, are now in route to Bermuda, their first stop
on their epic 3,800 mile Atlantic Ocean crossing.

The departure was not without incident, however, as the ICW was temporarily
closed on Sunday afternoon due to a fire in the engine room of a small cruise
ship. "After months of careful preparation and organization, it seemed that a last
minute, bizarre incident was going to delay our departure," said Jim Leishman,
Nordhavn's Vice President and captain of Atlantic Escort. Fortunately, the
waterway was re-opened minutes before the fleet gathered in the harbor's
turning basin before heading out to sea.

The fleet consists of one Nordhavn 40, five Nordhavn 46s, one Nordhavn 47, two
Nordhavn 50s, a Seaton 55, three Nordhavn 57s, a Krogen 58, three Nordhavn
62s and a Monk-McQueen 90. This is the first rally of its kind for powerboats and
is designed to provide captains and crew with the added support of a group
crossing. Three of the Nordhavns are serving as escort vessels and will be
carrying emergency medical staff, technicians, extra fuel and spare parts.

"Each boat must be self-sufficient and capable of making this crossing on their
own," adds Leishman. "But it's comforting to know that we are traveling together,
and that in an emergency we may be able to offer assistance." Atlantic Escort
has been specially rigged for towing, and each boat has been fitted with a towing
ring at its bow. To qualify for the Rally, the boats had to pass an inspection
certifying they had the fuel range and overall seaworthiness to make the voyage.
The captains and crew also had to complete at least one 600-mile or more
offshore passage on their vessels.

After arriving in Bermuda, the fleet will enjoy a week of de-briefing and social
activities at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club before departing on the second leg,
an 1,800 mile crossing to the Azores. "This 600-mile voyage to Bermuda can be
considered our 'shake-down' cruise," comments Nordhavn's President, Dan
Streech. "We'll have the time and resources in Bermuda to fix, adjust and fine-
tune things before heading for the Azores." Streech is aboard San Souci, one of
the Nordhavn 62 escort vessels.

During the Bon Voyage dinner Saturday evening, Streech and Leishman talked
about the incredible support Nordhavn has received from its many sponsors.
"The folks from Lugger engines, American Bow Thruster& Stabilizers, Furuno,
SkyMate and others have been terrific in providing technical support to our
participants," commented Streech. Several sponsors conducted seminars during
the week before departure. Topics included engine maintenance, electronics and
systems troubleshooting, navigation, and medical emergencies.

Yachting and MotorBoating magazines hosted a send-off luncheon on Friday
where Peter Janssen, Editorial Director of both publications, gave a keynote
speech. "Peter's speech was poignant, powerful and emotional as he was able to
capture in words the special moment in yachting history which was about to take
place," added Dan Streech. Both magazines as well as other top boating
publications have editors aboard each leg.

On Saturday, both Dan Streech and Jim Leishman appeared live on the radio
show, "World of Boating," heard coast-to-coast on the Sirius satellite network.
The Rally has captured the attention of the media and promises to be written into
the history books as a major yachting event.

Creating history is not new to Nordhavn, as it set a record in 2001 for going
around the world on its 40-foot model. Jim Leishman and other Nordhavn
crewmembers took their 40-foot production boat 26,000 miles from California
across the Pacific Ocean to Asia, through the Middle East and the
Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal. Although
experiencing typhoon conditions and gale force storms, the 25-week voyage was
successfully completed without a major breakdown or mishap.

Nordhavn designs and manufactures a complete line of trawler-styled yachts
from 35 to 76 feet. Based in Dana Point, California, it has additional offices in
Newport, Rhode Island and Stuart, Florida. This summer, it is opening its newest
office in the U.K. For more information, contact Jenny Stern at 401-846-6490 or
visit www.nordhavn.com.